Playing Boardgames
by Miss Junie
Summary: Mina has never had a normal relationship, and now isn't the time to try, no matter what she wants.  Things have just got so awkward around the jungle.  What's a girl to do?


**Author's note:** I haven't written anything not university-wise in a long time, so this is my first time back in about 4 months. WOO! I am absolutely in LOVE with Off the Map, and am desperately hoping for another season! Tommy/Mina are just incredible, and I can't wait to see more of their story, and here is a story for them. Spoilers to the end of Episode 13. Hope you all like it, but let me know either way !

**Disclaimer:** I wish I owned the rights.

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><p><em>This was <em>not _fair. _Mina glared at her wall, sitting on her bed. Of _all_ the people she could get involved with in the jungle, she had to get involved with Tommy. Tommy, not only her roommate, best friend, colleague, but also the person who she'd seen have different girls everyday. And she just had sex with him.

Well, no. It wasn't just sex. She'd made love to him, and she prayed simultaneously that he had and had not made love to her. She desperately wanted him too, to know that she wasn't just another of those girls. But she didn't want him too, because she couldn't handle a relationship because it was _her_, she always screwed them up.

So, she engaged in a policy of ignorance. That worked well, for about all of a day. After suffering Tommy's explanation of him playing Alma's favourite board-game with her, she saw the look Lilly had given her and just left. As much as Lilly meant well, she didn't want the look of sympathy. Lilly had found her though, and Tommy was staring at her _boobs_? Awesome. Freaking awesome.

She had to go and talk to him though. She owed it the clinic, and Lilly, and Tommy not to make things awkward. Her middle name should have been fix-it really. She tried to fix her parent's marriage. Didn't work. She tried to fix her life by getting a great job that her parents were proud of. Didn't work. She tried to do too much to fix her job. Didn't work. And now she'd ended up in this _stupid_ jungle. But in this stupid place, she'd found a home.

The house she'd lived at in Boston had been huge, and most of the time, she'd been alone. It had been a beautiful house, but it wasn't a home. Here, she hated all the insects around here, the constant sweating, and the lack of bagels, but she had a _home_. She knew that she was never alone. Lilly, Tommy, or another clinic staff were always around. Lilly had become her best friend, the female girlfriend she'd never had. And though she'd never admit it to him, Tommy had become the final part of their circle. He was so thoughtful while such a dork. Giving them suntan lotion the first day so their boobs didn't dry up? Lilly and her had just laughed hysterically after he'd walked away. And now they'd screwed it up, and she was making it worse by not talking to him.

After she was done work for the day, she went and talked to him. It was the only solution she could think of to get out of this awkward mess they were in, and try and fix things. And they fixed things, for all of two days, and then he ate _all _of her bagels. It wasn't even _about_ the stupid bagels. She knew that Tommy had insomnia, and most nights, she sat up with him and talked until he finally got tired enough to go to sleep. Sure, she'd be a bit sleepy the next morning, but she was a doctor, her job was to help people.

For the past few nights, she'd avoided him. She'd tried to talk to him, but there were still remnants of tension between them, and she'd sent Lilly to talk to him instead. But she missed him. And she was angry about that, and then he'd eaten all of them, which just gave her the excuse to relieve all that tension.

Then the universe obviously hated her as 'Pher' came along, singing that god-awful song. She had to admit, seeing Tommy jealous had thrilled an unexpected part of her, that she didn't want to analyze. After Pher had sung his song, and she'd seen Tommy's reaction, she knew that he was jealous. But what did it _mean_? She was never any good at this kind of thing. She'd had one serious boyfriend, and he'd dumped her as soon as he got his job through her Father. She'd only ever had sex with him, and then Tommy. She was the type of girl that gave it all during a relationship, and a relationship with Tommy scared the hell out of her.

She wasn't the type of person that could function in a normal relationship. She'd never had one. Her parents hated each other, and she'd never had a loving relationship with either one of them. Her boyfriend had just used her to get to her father. Her friends had avoided her as the awkward kid, and so she became known as the 'ice queen.'

So, she'd agreed to meet Pher. She wanted to push Tommy as far out of the romantic zone as possible, and tried to force something to happen with Pher. Seeing his face though, she couldn't do it.

"What's wrong, Mina Minard?" He asked gently, seeing her ashen face.

"I'm so, so, sorry," she said shakily. "I can't do this."

He laughed softly. "I know Mina. It's him, isn't it?" He said, obviously referring to Tommy as _him_.

She nodded jerkily.

He sighed exaggeratedly. "I guess I just never have any luck with the girls, huh?" He said teasingly.

Her eyes teared up. "I'm _so_ sorry, Pher."

He shook his foot, "Hang loose, Mina Minard, don't worry about this." He frowned at her tears. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

She shook her head softly, "No. It's just never going to work." She gazed off into the distance.

"Hey, Jesus has a plan for everything. Why do you think I lost my toes today?"

Mina frowned, "Because you had an awful construction site-"

He shook his head, "Because you were supposed to fix me, and I'm supposed to help you!" He widened his eyes comically.

She laughed quickly at his expression. "Ok, so what are you supposed to help me with?" She asked sceptically.

"Whatever you want," he said cryptically, and leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. "If you need a plan to lure Tommy-boy in, I've got a plan-"

She shook her head emphatically, "No, no, I need the opposite."

Pher eyed her thoughtfully, "Well, I've got a plan for you, Mina Minard."

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><p>Liked it, hated it? Let me know :)!<p> 


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